Shakira Ups the Grandeur on New Single “Empire”: Listen

With the help of a playful, sexually charged video and a feature from perennial pop chart queen Rihanna, Shakira’s “Can’t Remember to Forget You” surged to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest such placement since 2009’s “She Wolf.” The Colombian performer’s hoping to maintain that newly accrued momentum with “Empire,” the second single pulled from her upcoming eponymous tenth studio album.

The song marks a hard left turn from the pile-driving choral riffs and tropical bounce of “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” instead opting for Bond-theme grandeur and a spotlight on Shakira’s rich, soaring vocals. If you’re going to give your single an imperial moniker, it’d better come with tons of space and an explosive climax; Shakira delivers on both counts.

With the help of a playful, sexually charged video and a feature from perennial pop chart queen Rihanna, Shakira’s “Can’t Remember to Forget You” surged to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest such placement since 2009’s “She Wolf.” The Colombian performer’s hoping to maintain that newly accrued momentum with “Empire,” the second single pulled from her upcoming eponymous tenth studio album.

The song marks a hard left turn from the pile-driving choral riffs and tropical bounce of “Can’t Remember to Forget You,” instead opting for Bond-theme grandeur and a spotlight on Shakira’s rich, soaring vocals. If you’re going to give your single an imperial moniker, it’d better come with tons of space and an explosive climax; Shakira delivers on both counts.